The Straw that Broke the Camels Back
by lejardine
Summary: A marriage law has been put into affect and causes Hermione to do something almost irreversible if she were a muggle.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione was at her wits end when she read the Daily Prophet. She sat in the kitchen of her first apartment eating breakfast before her first day at work. She'd woken early and made herself a bowl of porridge and a hot cup of tea. Start her first day right she thought. Only that was now not going to happen. A marriage law had been put into affect. All witches of birthing age had to marry all single wizards.

She understood that due to the war birth rates had dropped as well as the wizarding population being cut a little more than half of what it was. But this was extreme. She was just starting her life as an adult and now she had to marry. In a fit of rage she picked up the paper and tossed it into the grate of her fireplace. She wolfed down her breakfast and apparated to work.

Her first day of work was to be a researcher/assistant to one now free Severus Snape. Upon his proof of innocence, the revelations of his true role in the war, and his health returned Severus had said bugger all to Hogwarts, packed his things, and left. With the large sum of money he was given along with his order of Merlin Severus bought a home in the middle of nowhere, fixed it up, and now did extensive potions work as well as really looking into the Dark Arts. And that's where Hermione came in. He'd offered her the position to be his assistant researcher when it came to the Dark Arts as well as with potions. She'd gladly accepted. She refused to work for the ministry.

And so, Hermione apparated in front of Severus' home in a state. Severus had been waiting.

"You read the Daily Prophet haven't you?" he drawled.

"Yes!" she growled.

"Come," he motioned "I have to set the wards so they recognize you." Severus had kept his home and its surroundings heavily warded as well as secret kept. And now the only two people in the world that knew of his whereabouts were one Minerva McGonagall and one Hermione Granger. Both he trusted with his life.

Once Hermione had been recognized by the wards Severus had ushered her in. The house was spacious and bright. A vast change from the cramped, dark and dampness of the Hogwarts dungeons. They'd walked into this library and Hermione sat as Severus pored them both a few fingers of fire whiskey at eight o'clock in the morning. The days' events seemed to call for it.

"Have any ideas?" asked Severus.

"For?"

"Who you're going to marry." Hermione snorted.

"I'll probably end up in Azkaban." She answered. The rule was that if a witch or wizard did not marry within the next two months they'd be thrown in the prison. Which, now wasn't as bad a place to be since they got rid of the dementors. Severus had thought about it. This rule roped him in too. With that he stood and they both got to work.

Day in and day out they'd worked on various projects for nearly a month and half. In that time Harry had married Ginny, Ron had married Lavender, Neville Luna, so on and so forth. But no one had sent her an offer. Severus had even gotten dozens of offers and was entertaining a few.

To be honest, it hurt her deeply. Her friends were all married and living their own lives. She no longer fit and they no longer reached out to her and ignored her when she tried to reach out to them.

Six days before the deadline Hermione was still one of a few witches and wizards who remained unmarried. She'd been called into Kingsley's office.

"Have you chosen yet?" Hermione had looked away.

"No." she whispered. Kingsley had clicked his teeth.

"It's a shame we can't just force you to marry someone." Hermione's blood ran cold when he said that and she immediately grabbed her things and stormed out of his office. What he was insinuating was rape. Not only did they have to marry but also they had to consummate the marriage in week and have a child in a year.

Five days before the deadline Hermione had apparated to Severus' and found him in the office. Her eyes were puffy from crying and her face pale. She looked at Severus across the room and an idea came to her. She dropped her things on the wingback chair and went to his desk and leaned on it.

"Severus Snape, will you marry me?" She asked. Severus looked dumb struck then sneered at her, then laughed. It took a moment for Severus to realize that Hermione was serious and another moment to see that her eyes had gone dead. Before he could say anything though Hermione had once again picked up her things and left. Severus didn't think much of it. And went back to work. He'd forgotten the stipulation if neither of them was married.

Four days before the deadline Hermione had stayed home speaking to no one and trying to find a way out. The borders were shut. No one could escape. Severus was livid that his assistant hadn't shown but didn't care enough to go looking for her.

Three days before the deadline she went through her things and put her most beloved items in a trunk and vaporized everything else. Severus wanted to go look for her but didn't know where she lived. No one did oddly enough.

Two days before the deadline Hermione walked the streets of London. It was beginning of summer and was a warm dry day. She wore jeans and a t-shirt and had a messenger bag across her body. But she walked a dead woman. She came to an intersection and was supposed to wait for the traffic to stop before crossing. But she didn't. Cars had stopped immediately but the brakes on a truck can't stop it on the spot. Hermione was hit, thrown and hit the ground with such force her body bounced off the asphalt and landed on the back of another vehicle.

Severus on the other hand was in his office. Now he was worrying. Had his reaction really caused her to not turn up?

"Surely not." He said out loud. But he still worried now. He'd sent a few notes through owl to Hermione with no answer. He had no idea where she lived and those that should know, her supposed best friends, didn't really care to tell him. So he went out looking for her in all the possible places he knew she liked. But he came up empty. When it was getting late he returned home, had his dinner, did some reading, then went to bed.

One day before the deadline Severus woke. For a moment he remembered the deadline was tomorrow. But then he remembered, so long as he stayed home tomorrow and all the days after he'd be okay. His home was secret kept and the only two people who knew where he lived would not release the secret word. With a heave up Severus got out of bed. A quick shower and getting dressed he made his way down to the kitchen and made himself breakfast. When it was ready, like clockwork, there was a tap at his window. His copy of the Daily Prophet had been delivered. He grabbed it and sat to eat the unfurled the paper.

WAR HEROINE HERMIONE GRANGER HIT BY BUS!

According to the muggles who witnessed the carnage Ms. Granger walked into traffic.

Severus dropped his fork and continued to read the article. Hermione had tried to end it all. Severus slapped down the paper and sat there in shock. It lasted a minute. He grabbed his jacket and wand and apparated.

Severus landed outside of St. Mungos. It was swarmed by reporters. Quickly he disillusioned himself and made his way through the crowd and into the hospital. He found a healer he knew and revealed himself.

"Where is Ms. Granger?" he whispered. The healer led him to her room.

"Before you go in I must warn you. Even with all the potions and spells to heal her she's very scarred and battered." Severus nodded in understanding.

"Has anyone come for her?" he asked.

"No." responded the healer sadly. Severus was not surprised and pushed his way into the room and softly shut the door. Her bed was on the other end of the room, alone. The window was covered for fear of witches or wizards going on their brooms to get a look at her. Severus crossed the room to look at her.

Hermione's hair was gone. He reached up to touch the top of her head. They gave her a buzz cut to fix her skull but couldn't wrap a scarf around her head for warmth. Severus grabbed his wand and did a diagnostic on her. She was under a lot of potions to aid in her healing. A lot of spells were used as well. But there was no evidence of her being under a spell that forced her hand. And it hit him and he leaned on the bed. Hermione actually did try to end it. There was no pity for her. He'd tried numerous times. But there was a profound and knowing sadness. Severus grabbed the chair nearby and pulled it up beside the bed and sat holding her hand. She was in a coma for now and she had to come out of it on her own.

He sat there for a while besides her thinking what he could have done to prevent this. But there was no reasoning of thinking of that. What could he do to help her now and in the future? And as if to nudge his thought process Kingsley came in and shut the door.

"Ah. Just the two people I want to talk to. I've been looking for the both of you…" anything more Kingsley was going to say was cut off by what he saw. One stricken looking Severus and one very unconscious and scarred Hermione. "I didn't realize it was that bad." He walked over to look over the young woman and then noticed Severus holding her hand. "Severus?" Severus turned his head to look at him. "Were you two?" Kingsley took the bait.

"I was planning on it."

"What do you mean?"

"I was going to ask Hermione to marry me. I'd been thinking about it for a while and came to a decision. When I finally decided to ask her she disappeared. Only to find out today she'd tried to end it."

"Do you have any idea why she would do this?"

"She's alone."

"Excuse me?"

"Her supposed friends care nothing for her anymore. Her parents are long dead at the hands of a Death Eater leading up to the final battle. And she's gotten no offers of marriage…except me. Not to mention the mental ravages of war she's had to deal with on her own." Kingsley understood, to an extent.

"Do you still want to marry her?"

"Yes." With that Kingsley made sure they were safe. Upon Hermione's awaking they would marry. There would be no one to take either of them to Azkaban.

For days and weeks Severus took time out to go see Hermione. And in those days and weeks he was her only visitor. He would read to her in his deep resonating voice hoping she'd somehow hear him. Eventually he'd found her apartment and saw it state. She had really prepared. All he found was that one trunk. He took it home with him and placed it in a spare bedroom.

It was now going on three months and Severus was still holding out hope that she'd wake. But it was waning. Today he grabbed the usual. A new potions journal, the Daily Prophet, and the continued research (which he was now doing on his own but was not going as quickly). Severus, as usual, apparated to St. Mungos under a guise then changed back once he was far enough inside. Severus entered the room and dropped the books he held to his chest. Hermione was standing and looking at herself in the mirror. He walked over to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. This was real. No one was playing a trick on him. Gently he pulled her to him and hugged her.

"I'm sorry." Was all he could say. Hermione pushed him away a bit so she could show him that his apology was accepted. She couldn't speak but she could nod her head and smile. Just then a healer came in to check on Hermione.

"Oh good the potion is working." Severus looked at the healer confused. "Oh, sorry Mr. Snape. When she woke she couldn't move. Her muscles had atrophied. So she was given a potion to help and now she's up and about. How do you feel Ms. Granger?" Hermione motioned "so so". "Can't speak?" Hermione shook her head no. The healer was confused and did a diagnostic on Hermione's throat. "Scar tissue. Hmmmm." The healer left and Hermione and Severus were left alone.

She had no parents to escape to to comfort her. They'd been killed in a gas explosion (that's what the muggles said) but it was proven that one or a group of Voldemort supporters had attacked them. And Severus, the spy, was completely oblivious to his assistants' issues.

"I'm sorry." Was all he could say again as he kneeled before her. Hermione shook her hand in front of him as if to say it was okay now. She turned to look for a paper and quill.

"Anything I should know?" she wrote. She didn't have full control of her motor skills yet so her handwriting was messy. Severus sat her down on the bed as he sat on the chair across from her.

"The day it hit the Prophet that you'd tried to end it all I immediately came here and sat with you. Kingsley came in…and well…to avoid either of us from going into Azkaban I lied and told him that we were to marry. I'm sorry." Hermione looked past Severus in thought. There were many things she wanted to say but she held back.

"Okay." She wrote. "Did anyone else come besides you?"

"No, It's been me everyday for three months." He whispered. The only one to care for her was one Severus Snape. She expected her answer and nodded her head to say she understood. She really was left by the wayside.

Severus and Hermione were left alone for the next hour. A healer came in and gave her a potion to take to help with the scar tissue build up. Within fifteen minutes she could speak again. Severus was quietly pleased to hear her voice again. They made their plan of action. It had probably spread by now that she was awake and aware. Thus Kingsley would be showing up at any moment. Plan of action: lie through their teeth and make it as believable as possible. Considering who they were, that wouldn't be too hard. And as expected, and hour later, Kingsley showed up and didn't even knock.

"Congrats!" he said as he walked through. They were none to pleased to see him but knew why he was there. "I told Severus that once you woke I'd come so the two of you could sign the marriage document and be on your merry way." He pulled the scroll from the inside pocket of his robes and grabbed the special self inking quill he walked with as well and handed into the Hermione first. She signed and dated then Severus did the same. The scroll rolled up and popped out of existence to some part of the ministry. They were now Severus and Hermione Snape. Just like that. "Good day!" Kingsley left them there in silence.

"That was easier then expected." Commented Severus. Hermione grunted in affirmation.

"All that planning for nothing." Severus then stood and looked at Hermione.

"The belongings you left in your apartment I took to my place. You have no clothes so would it be okay if I got your measurements and took them to Malkins to get you some robes and the like?"

"That would be fine, your first task as my husband." Hermione said with a smirk. She stood off the bed as Severus transfigured the sash of her hospital robe into a measuring tape. The measurements were taken quickly and written down.

"I'll take these now and come in an hour. Anything you'd like me to bring and any requests for the clothing?"

"I'm craving something meaty. And clothing wise no bright colors and if you pick red make it dark red but I like green too." She said then winked. Severus nodded then swept out the room. When he left Hermione returned to the mirror. She had a scar on her face that looked a lot like the Glasgow smile. Only on one side though. It was pink now and judging on how it looked it would continue to fade to her normal skin tone but there would still be an indented scar. She'd opened her robe to see the scars that covered her body. She was littered with them now. Half from the war and her seven years at Hogwarts and the rest from her stepping in front of a truck. Her hair was growing back thankfully but slowly. When she woke and was then able to move she felt the scarf on her head and pulled it off to find her hair was less than ten centimeters long. As she stood in the mirror she put the scarf back on.

An hour later Severus returned to find Hermione sitting on the bed and reading. He had a box of clothing for her to wear and a bag with a container of stir-fried rice with beef from his favorite Chinese restaurant. He placed the food on the table for her as he opened the box and held up the robes magically so they floated before him.

"They're beautiful she said after she swallowed." The outer robe was a supple black fabric that looked like velvet but wasn't with gold embroidery. While the inner robe was of a deep nearly black green with deep dark red embroidery along the hem. Then a scarf for her to wear that was black with gold embroidery to match the outer robe. "Did you pick this out?" she asked in wonder.

"Yes." Severus answered as he cleared his throat.

"I think you'll be picking out my clothes from now on." She said smiling. "They're absolutely gorgeous." Severus didn't smile but she did notice the change. He placed everything neatly in the box.

"The other box has undergarments in it." He said as he placed it beside her. Hermione placed her food on the table and looked in the box. Black lacey underwear. She gave a sidelong look to Severus. "I didn't pick those out." Hermione smiled and closed the box and continued with her meal.

It was a few hours later when Hermione was given the all clear to leave. The potions had done their job and now she just needed to rest, and that she could do at home. So, as she got dressed Severus turned his back.

"Ok, ready." Severus turned. He had made the right choice in color and cut of her clothing. She cut the striking figure. As she moved towards him her outer robe billowed around her and Severus couldn't help but smirk. They'd definitely make a fitting couple just on presence. Severus opened the door and let her out. The hall was lined with on lookers as she held her head high and walked passed them.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus and Hermione made it through the crowd and the moment they stepped outside they apparated to Severus' home. Once she felt safe her shoulders sagged a bit and Severus kept hold of her.

"Do you need to sit down?" He asked a little fearful.

"Yes. Maybe apparating just yet was a bad idea." Severus nodded in understanding and walked with her to the library lay down on one of the plush sofas.

"I'll be right back." Severus disappeared to get some tea and some snacks for Hermione. As she lay there she sunk further in to the sofa.

"Was this always this soft?" she whispered to herself. She was pretty sure Severus didn't cast a cushioning charm. She sat up and pulled herself to her feet and took off her robe then sat back down to take off the shoes before getting comfortable on the sofa again.

Severus returned with a tray with a full teapot, two teacups and a bowl of fruits for Hermione to eat. Severus had figured fruit was the best thing for her to eat for now as it was cooling and would aid in hydrating her. No sugar or milk as they both took their tea black. He poured her a cup and handed it to her as she sat back up.

"Thank you." She whispered. Those words alone though made a movement inside Severus. He felt it but didn't pay it much mind. They sat and ate and drank in comfortable silence. Hermione on the Sofa and Severus on the floor. Although, Severus was also so lost in thought he hadn't noticed when Hermione had put her cup and saucer back on the tray and lay back down to sleep until he heard a near quiet moan. Severus turned around to find Hermione curled up facing him fast asleep. He took the robe she had taken off and draped it over her.

Quietly, Severus had gathered the tray and took it to the kitchen. He placed everything in the sink and set the magic for them to wash themselves. He turned and stood there in thought.

"Now what?" He whispered. He was married now. Granted to someone agreeable at least even if she's a former student and one third of the golden trio. But he's never been in a situation of being in a relationship. Sure he's been with witches but that amounted to one-night stands or the forced orgies the Dark Lord held. For now, he would have to help Hermione come to terms with things while he does the same as well as help her heal.


End file.
